Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves or 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves, crumbled
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 whole turkey, 12 pounds, thawed if frozen
- Corn Bread Stuffing (See Below)
- 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
Heat oven to 325ºF. Mix
rosemary, sage, salt, pepper and garlic; rub into turkey skin.
Prepare Corn Bread Stuffing for stuffing in turkey or baking in casserole.
(See Betty's Tips for casserole baking directions.) Stuff turkey just
before roasting, not ahead of time. To bake stuffing in turkey, fill
wishbone area lightly with stuffing. Fasten neck skin to back with skewer.
Fold wings across back with tips touching. Fill body cavity lightly. (Do
not pack--stuffing will expand while cooking.) Tuck drumsticks under band
of skin at tail, or tie together with heavy string, then tie to tail.
Place turkey, breast side up, on rack in shallow roasting pan. Brush with
butter. Do not add water. Place meat thermometer in thickest part of
inside thigh muscle so thermometer does not touch bone.
Roast uncovered 4 to 5 hours, brushing with pan juices every 30 minutes,
until thermometer reads 180°F and juice of turkey is no longer pink when
center of thigh is cut. Thermometer placed in center of stuffing will read
165°F when done.
Place aluminum foil loosely over turkey when it begins to turns golden.
When turkey is two-thirds done, cut band of skin, or remove string or
skewer holding legs. When turkey is done, place on warm platter and cover
with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let stand about 20 minutes for easiest
carving. While turkey is standing, prepare Foolproof Gravy if desired.
To serve, garnish turkey with fresh herb sprigs. Cover and refrigerate any
remaining turkey and gravy separately